Heading home

Almost packed, but I think I can get this flaky wireless connection to stay online for long enough to post some quick thoughts.

The conference was very informative, and it was good to meet other TechPubs Managers and chat about the variety of responsibilities and “challenges” we all face. My presentation went well, although I did finish 5 minutes earlier. I had planned a short live demo but concerns over time and internet connections made me reconsidered. Next time (presuming there is one!) I’ll plan in more content.

It was a buzz though, and I can understand why people enjoy doing it and why, despite the nerves, people keep doing it. I enjoyed standing on the stage and talking about something I have a passion for, and watching and feeding off the reactions of the audience. I had a few humorous observations which got just the reaction I’d hoped and I could feel my confidence soaring with every passing minute. I even abandoned my notes, a stack of index cards on which I’d written key points, and managed to wing my way through the last few slides without missing a beat. I even remembered to pause, to move around the stage, to raise and lower my voice, to make eye contact and all those other things that make a difference. I THINK it went down well, feedback may tell me otherwise.

So overall, it was fun and I learnt some stuff. That’s all for the other blog though.

I am a bit tired this morning though but I do want to take a moment to thank the couple in the room next to me for a very educational evening. I’m in a Club room and the adjoining door, whilst firmly locked, does leave a little to be desired when it comes to sound-proofing. This was to my benefit though as I now know that a Romanian woman (I think, certainly from that neck of the woods) makes the same noises and cries out “OH God!” whilst reaching the climax of her orgasm. The couple very generously made sure I fully understood this by repeating the lesson three times. The third lesson finished around 1am, and I think if a fourth had been started I may well have knocked on the adjoining door to thank them for such an informative evening.

Speaking of which, I did catch Charlie Brooker on TV talking about the trend in TV Reporting, which is particularly poignant given the BREAKING NEWS being splashed all over Sky News this morning. Yes, apparently England lost a game of football.

Ohh come on, you didn’t think I WOULDN’T mention it, did you?

I did watch the game, and will admit to cheering rather loudly at every goal. All three of them.

Hmmmm, maybe the couple in the next room were just getting me back…